This invention relates to a portable water conditioner and, in particular, a water conditioner wherein the container for the conditioning media can be readily removed from its housing and replaced with a fresh cartridge for continued operation.
Recently publicized studies directed to the quality of the residential water supply of various municipalities throughout this country have pointed out the presence of a variety of different contaminants at unacceptable levels in municipal water supplies. These studies and the resulting publicity has generated increasing interest in small portable water conditioning apparatus of the type adapted for home use. A number of products have heretofore been successfully marketed for this purpose and primarily include one or more cylindrical structures which are placed adjacent a single water source in the home. Typically, the apparatus is placed on the kitchen counter top so that it is readily accessible for family use.
The devices have utilized both a replacement of spent media-containing cartridges and a separate recharging apparatus to cause a flow of brine through the container in a reverse direction for continued operation. The different ion exchange resins and bacterial-reducing agents utilized in the various home conditioning units require different regeneration or replacement cycles based on the contaminant levels at the different locales.
The presently available units have been characterized by being unwieldy, generally unattractive and typically occupy a relatively large area of what is normally the work area of the busiest room in the house, the kitchen. Furthermore, the disassembly and replacement of the operative media has often been complicated and a distinct disadvantage in the acceptance for continued use of the portable water conditioning apparatus in the home.
Accordingly, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a portable water conditioner which is of improved design so as to permit the user to readily replace the media-containing cartridge. In addition, the present invention is directed to the provision of a portable conditioning apparatus which occupies a relatively small area for its situs and is provided with a uniform exterior so as to be aesthetically pleasing in the home environment. Furthermore, the present apparatus combines the different media in a single container. The container is maintained in an upright position during usage and is provided with a movable spout to enable the user to vary the direction of the output therefrom.